bickel



A. BICKEL CONCRETE MIXER May 23, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed July 17. 1922 I I Ifllillll llllqllll r l Q8 m mm mm w T4 CO Ihwentor ACKERT BIGKEL Bg V May 23, 1933. A. BICKl-:iu Re. 18,838

CONCRETE MIXER Original Filed July 17. 1922 2 Sheets-.Sheet E :inventor AcKER-r BlcKEl.

' reduced scale.

Reissued May 23, 1933 u lsu'rr-:D STATES ACKERT BICXFL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR IO` THE JAEGER COMPANY, COLUMBUS, OHIO, A. CORPORATION 0F OHIO Re. 18,838l

PATENT OFFICE A,

CONCRETE MIXER Original No. 1,650,592, dated November 29, .1927, Serial No. 525,515, led July 17, 1922. Application for reissue filed October 31, 1929. Serial No. 403,876.

'I he present invention relates vto mixing apparatus and aims to provide an improved mixer construction characterized by .a novel and eilicient means for effecting both the agitating of the material in the mixing operation and also the dischargeof each batch of material from the mixing. chamber.

For this purpose, I have devised a mixing receptacle provided with agitating means or blades cooperating in the rotative movement of the receptacle `for carrying out the mixing operation, and thereafter operating while the receptacle is maintained stationary to effectI be particularly set forth in the claims.

In the drawings-A Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view, of a mixing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section, taken on the line II-II of Figure 1;

igure 3 is an end view of the machine; Figure 4 is a plan view ofthe same,'on a Referrin now to thesaid drawings in detail, these lllustrate the apparatus as comprising a mixing drum 5` `provided with Journals` mounted in bearings 7 on standards 8 supported on any suitable framework,

such 4as transverse channels 9 forming part of a framework adapted to be carried by the chassis 10 an ordinary truck used fortrans.

ortingv the mixer,vsuch; as ,shown in Fig. 1. uch a truckusually'hasa power take-off shaftsuch as shown at 30f or rotating the mixing drum at a reduced speed vand in either direction by means of a. hand lever'31 and means of afsprocketI wheel 14 or the like,` slidingly keyed to said shaft and actuated by a drivechain 15. The sprocket wheel is adapted to be shifted in any well known manner, by means of a shift lever 16, for the purpose of effecting clutching or unclutching engagement of pins 17 with recesses 18 in the outer ends of the journals' (see Figure l), thereby connecting or disconnecting the drivev from the shaft '12 to the drum 5. By this means the shaft 12can berotated independently ofthe drum 5, at which time the latter is maintained stationary by the action of a suitable brake 20 mounted on'one'of the frame pieces 9 and adapted to be operated manually into frictional engagement with'the periph'- ery ofthe drum. At onel en d, the drum is formed with an opening 22, having one edge Hush with the drum?s periphery, and adapted to bemaintained closed during the mixing operation by a hinged door 23 vprovided with latch elements 24.

Inside Ithe drum, a plurality of arms 25 4are secured to the shaft 12 by means of split clamping elements 26, the arrangement of said arms being such as to form a series extending in a spiral or helical direction about and forming in efect what may be termed a sectional helical conveyor with' the sections thereof overlapping and at the same time affording suiicient clearance for the material MACHINE# to work its way between the sections or blades and preventing any clogging actionl of, the,

parts. Adjacent each end of the drum, a scraper `arm 28 is secured tothe shaft 12 in' position to effect scraping engagement with the end Walls ofthe drum compartment, and thus intermittently removing the material adhering thereto.

In operation, the drive 'to the drum 5 is disconnected by unclutchingthe 'sprocketl rotate in unison about the axis of the shaft,

' in which operation it will be apparent that the arms and blades exert a continuous agitating and mixing action upon the batch of material, due to said arms and blades alternatel sweeping through the material as they pass eneath the shaft and then lifting and releasing the material as they pass through the arc above the shaft. As above indicated, the broken helical arrangement of this agitating and mixing structure affords suiicient clearance for the, described movement of the arms and blades to avoid any clogging or choking action in the mixing operation, the scraper arms 28 further cooperating to keep 'any of the material from collecting on the end walls of the mixer. At the end of the usual period allowed for the mixing operation according to one mode of use the sprocket wheel 15 is unclutched from the adjacent journal 6 to disconnect the drive to the drum, and the latter brought to a stand-still by means of the brake and with the opening 22 in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, to

allow the discharge of the material. While the drum is maintained stationary and the door 23 unlatched to allow the same to be swung open, the rotation of the shaft 12 is continued, with the result that the conveyor or impeller action of the blades 27 operates to feed the material in the direction of said openin 22 until substantially the entire contents oV the drum-are expelled from the mixing compartment. The continued operation is then slmply a repetition of the foregoing. It is obvious, however, that the door 23 can be left open and the mixing drum and blades rotated together to effect by their impeller action referred to discharge the mixed material but in such case the discharge may be regularly intermittent. It is thus apparent that the described construction constitutes an extremely simple and yet entirely eiicient and economical apparatus for this class of work. It is very evident that the method of mixin herein described, involving the movement o the mixing blades operating in unison with the drum about the same axis during the mixing operation, can be carried out with far less power effort than any operation requiring a screw-like agtating and mixing action produced within a stationary mixing drum which would have the effectV rincipally o packing the material in one en of the mixing chamber unless the material be su'iciently iluid to avoid this. This is a feature of great advantage in connection with mixers transported on trucks andy designed to carry out the mixing operation while the truck is in transit and with power derived from the same motor as is used to drive the truck. Another chieffadvantage is the gain in capacity over the common type of mixer provided with a central, axial opening and operating with a batch which can not, of course, exceed half the volume of the mixin chamber, whereas the present construction the design permits the mixing chamber to be charged to at least a level with the margin of the` opening 22 when the lattery is located in receiving position or above the shaft-12, thus charging the mixer more than half full. A further feature of advantage is that the mixing operation is carried out with the mixer opening 23 closed, which is important in connection with mixing in transit, since there is no opportunity for losing any of the contents from the mixer due to the swash of the material, this loss of material being one of the disadvantages characterizing all of the common types of mixers provided with the central or axial opening and having no provision for closing the same during the mixlng process.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of embodiment of the proposed improvements, I desire to reserve the right to make all such changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I What I claim is 1. A mixing apparatus comprising a rotating receptacle having one of its ends provided with a discharge outlet, material-eii gaging means carried within said receptacle and including a plurality of blades all inclined with reference to the axis of the recep tacle at angles adapted to impel the material, by the joint action of said blades, continuously in one direction toward said outlet, means for rotating said receptacle and lnaterial-engaging means in unison for effecting the mixing operation. and means for main-v taining said receptacle stationary and effectin" the discharge of the material through said outlet by the continued operation of said material-engaging means.

v 2.-` A mixing apparatuscomprising a rotating receptacle having an opening for receiving and discharging the material. a plurality of arms carrying blades arranged helically about the axis of the receptacle,`said blades being progressively inclined with reference to said axis at angles adapted to impel the material by the joint action of said blades, continuously in the direction of said opening, means for rotating said receptacle and arms in unison about said axis, and means for maintaining said receptacle stationary and electf ing the discharge of the material through said K a removable closure for is,sss

opening by the continued-rotation of said arms 3. In a concrete mixer, a truck, a cylindrif cal receptacle mounted thereon to rotate on a fixed substantially horizontal axis, said receptacle having at its end an eccentrically located opening for charging and discharging said receptacle, a portion of said opening su stantially coinciding with the convex wall of said receptacle, spirally arranged means in said receptacle adapted to mix and agitate the concrete materials in said receptacle and move the same toward and through said opening when the latter is in its lower osition, a removable closure for said opening and means for fixing the saine in closed position during the mixing and agitating operation,

and power means carried by the truck for rotatingl said receptacle and mixing and agitatin means.

4. n a concrete mixer, a truck, a cylindrical receptacle mounted thereon to rotate on a fixed substantially horizontal axis, said receptacle having at its end an eccentrically located opening for charging and discharging said receptacle, a portion of said openin substantially coinciding with the convex wal of said receptacle, spirallyarranged means in said receptacle adapted to mix and agitata the concrete materials in said receptacle and move the same toward and through said opening when the Alatter is in its lower position, said opemng and means for fixing the same in closed position during the mixing and a itating operation, and power means carrier? by the-truck for rotating said mixing and agitating means independently of the receptacle.

5. In a concrete mixer, cal receptacle mounted thereon to rotate on a fixed substantially horizontal axis, said receptacle having at its end an eccentrically located opening for charging and discharging said receptacle, a portion of said openin su stantially coinciding with the convex wa of said receptacle, spirally arranged means in said receptacle adapted to mix and agitate the concrete materials in said receptacle and move the same toward and through said opening when the latter is in itslower position, a removable closure for said opening and means for fixing the same in closed position during the mixing and a 'tating operation, and power means carrie by the truck for rotating said receptacle and spirally arranged means.

6. In a concrete mixer, a truck, a cylindrical receptacle mounted thereon to rotate on a fixed substantially horizontal axis, said receptacle having at its end an eccentrically located opening for charging and discharging said receptacle, a portion of said opening substantially coinciding with the convex wall of said receptacle, spirally arranged means in said receptacle adapted to mix and agitato 

